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Author
Topic: Sudhir Paul, Ph.D. UpDate (Read 33810 times)

I wrote Doctor Sudhir Paul on August 17, 2009 pertaining to his research and I wanted to keep you all posted as to what he wrote me in return.

Dear Mr. Sudhir Paul

Greetings, my name is OhioGuyHere26 and I would like to ask you a few questions? I’ll keep this short and simple. Are you still studying/researching your HIV inquiries that the world was talking about back in Aug. of 2008? Where can I find your latest updates? and When will you be accepting human clinical trials?

Sincerely,OhioGuyHere26

Sent on behalf of Sudhir Paul, Ph.D.

Dear OhioGuyHere26:

Thank you for your email. We are fully committed to taking the research to its logical conclusion of clinical testing of abzyme therapy and vaccination for HIV infection. We are moving as rapidly as feasible in completing the preclinical regulatory milestones. We could begin human clinical trials 9-12 months after we have raised sufficient money. The research is going well and we are very optimistic. More information about our published research data, progress, news releases, and ways to donate/sponsor are available at:http://www.uth.tmc.edu/pathology/research/circ/hivtherapyandvaccination.htm.

In other words, they don't even have financing for this yet...so when and if they get financing it will be about a year after that to even begin the trials. So give and take anywhere between 5-10 years for a full 3-phase trial to complete and we're looking at years and years down the line. I won't hold my breath for this one!

But anyway, thanks for posting this and taking the time to write to them.

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"Hope is my philosophy Just needs days in which to beLove of Life means hope for meBorn on a New Day" - John David

"On September 24 2009, a dynamic group of young professionals will join forces in New York to throw the debut charity benefit for Covalent Immunology Foundation: HARD MEDICINE. This event celebrates the Foundation’s groundbreaking research in catalytic antibody technology in the fight against HIV and their socially conscious plans for distribution of medical care. (...)"

Fascinating research! It seems the gp120 region exposed on the virus is a common denominator for a non=mutatable target for HIV. This region is also the goal of anti-ps. However, it seems Dr. Paul has found a certain region of the gp120 called Egp120 that seems to do the job very efficiently. This not only has preventable vaccine implications but also darn good therpeutic value. The following link gives a good explanation of Dr. Paul's work:

marius,I agree with you that Dr. Paul is a scientist with a capital S! I am glad to see he has collaborated with Dave Montefiori of CHAVI on some of his research. This means information is being shared and perhaps Dr. Paul's research will be incorporated within the vaccine initiative being done at CHAVI. Dr. Paul states that he believes a vaccine could be available within 5 to 10 years, however, a therapeutic should not take as long if he gets the funding. HARD MEDICINE helps build HARD BODIES! A worthy cause!

An abzyme is a certain type of antibody called a catalytic antibody. they have the potential to detoxify a drug in the blood stream (like cocaine), destroy a virus, or target tumor cells. They have the potential to be programmed to go after a certain target and destroy it. For HIV, the ideal target would be that portion of the virus that doesn't mutate:

The Achilles Heal that Dr. Sudhir Paul is talking about is a region on the virus that does not mutate. It is located on the gp120 protein and consists of a tiny stretch of amino acids numbered 421-433. See:

So you are correct to say that the Achilles Heal is NOT the abzyme. The abzyme, if effective, has the potential to cure HIV. The abzymes should be able to be programmed to go after any target as long as that target is non-mutatable.

There's now a grassroots group called the Covalent Immunology Foundation, hosting a fundraiser as well as making a flashy PSA in order to raise money for this.

Can This Man Cure AIDS?Sudhir Paul's research could be revolutionary—or it could be a waste of time and resources. Why a group of nonscientists has decided to bet on his out-there ideas.

Last summer, while watching a news program about a possible AIDS vaccine, Zach Barnett had a "Eureka!" moment. The show was describing a Texas scientist's unorthodox approach to vaccine-making, a strategy that involved superantigens and covalent bonds and a lot of other words that weren't in Barnett's vocabulary. That didn't matter; the science turned him on anyway. "It was just so cool," he says. "I was like, 'lightbulb!' "

For years, Barnett, a fashion publicist, had been trying to get involved in AIDS activism, but mainstream organizations had told him there wasn't much for him to do, save passing out brochures. "That was a waste of my talent," he says. Here he saw a use for his skills. He wrote to the scientist, Dr. Sudhir Paul of the University of Texas, to tell him that "if what he was saying was true, he was doing a bad job of publicizing it." To show he was serious, he offered Paul $50 out of his own pocket to support the research.

They're trying to raise money by getting LOTS of people to donate $5. each which could work as far as fundraising, most of the donations to the Obama campaign were small and added up. Although I suspect it's mainly to generate publicity so that private donors with big bucks can come in ("Hello, David Geffen?")

"The final, and perhaps most daunting, problem with Paul's work is that so far, the only published research has been conducted in test tubes and mice. (Paul says he also has some promising data from rabbits, but it's unpublished.) The NIH has funded his work lavishly until recently, contributing almost $30 million, but now, just as he's getting ready to move to trials in monkeys, it's balking."

Why is that so? Is it because of jealousy from the established gurus of the field? Are they afraid of the fame Prof. Paul will get if the abzyme technology takes off and provides a cure? Are there other influences from the drug powerhouses? The whole story described in the paper requires a very careful analysis. Why hasn't the NIH continued to fund Prof. Paul, specially after having spent 30 million?

Something is fundamentally wrong in the research process in the US. For the billions of dollars invested in R&D the outcome is rather poor. And a good example is Prof. Paul's research. For a new approach that promises to eradicate the virus or at least provide a complete "functional cure", eliminating the problems all of us have with current meds, saving immediately billions of dollars every year, not spending a few million makes no sense to me. Unless there's something hidden! Many people talk about conspiracy theories, but it can simply be the grant awarding process where in a small world of scientific research all personal animosities and jealousies surface and influence the decisions. Either way the whole process is flawed and is wonderful things happen at the basic research level, transitioning to clinical trials is another story. Geovax's story to start the therapeutical vaccine trial is another good example.

The abzyme approach is scientifically sound and of great promised. Only needs to be tested and perfected if required. It promises fewer side effects that conventional antibodies because of its catalytic nature. One abzyme can inactivate many virus! Because is seems to be powerful and targeted this treatment should be able to completely replace the toxic drugs!

We all must appreciate Prof. Paul for his achievements and the capacity to move things forward!!

I was so excited when I heard about Dr Paul's work, then so disappointed when he could not raise money to carry on his work. Is there no public money available for medical research in the US. Do the researchers have raise their own money

Dr Paul's approach is just one example of great research that for some reason do not move to clinical trials. The most striking example seems to be the GcMAF of Dr. Yamamoto. According do the published work. it can cure CANCER and HIV! Why has Geovax struggle to start clinical trials of the therapeutical vaccine?Money is available for conventional, classical approaches, like the Thai trial. If I'm not wrong 105 million dollars of taxpayer's money was spent in that trial! I agree that the trial had to be done, despite the failure of the two vaccines alone, but there should be a rationalization of costs allowing an unequivocal completion of promising research programs. Abzymes and GcMAF, for example, seem to work in animal models and in humans, respectively. With less than 10% of the money spent on the Thai trial we would know whether they work or not!! And what they promise is big: a cure for this and eventually CANCER too!

An interesting article about research, ethics, conflicts of interest, etc. appeared on "The Scientist". Registration is free and the link is here:

The government agency tasked with funding crucial life science research needs to focus more attention on ethical quandaries and nefarious business practices that often obscure the path from discovery to public benefit, says a strongly worded letter to Francis Collins, the director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), signed by more than 100 biomedical researchers, journal editors, and health care administrators in the US.

"...we ask that you acknowledge the research gap on the effect of conflicts of interest and commercial influence on medical decision making," the letter reads, "and set in motion a process that leads to recognition of the importance of funding studies on research ethics, the beliefs and behaviors of researchers and clinicians, and the effects of industry-academic relationships on the generation and dissemination of medical knowledge."

The government agency tasked with funding crucial life science research needs to focus more attention on ethical quandaries and nefarious business practices that often obscure the path from discovery to public benefit, says a strongly worded letter to Francis Collins, the director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), signed by more than 100 biomedical researchers, journal editors, and health care administrators in the US.

"...we ask that you acknowledge the research gap on the effect of conflicts of interest and commercial influence on medical decision making," the letter reads, "and set in motion a process that leads to recognition of the importance of funding studies on research ethics, the beliefs and behaviors of researchers and clinicians, and the effects of industry-academic relationships on the generation and dissemination of medical knowledge."

Conspiracy theories?

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sign the petition launched by the aids policy project addressed to the nih aimed to increase the money needed to find the cure:

Online donation goes towards the Phase I FDA clinical trials. The goal is approximately $2.5 million, and every donation helps us get a step closer. Donate today and tell your friends to do the same.

If everything goes fine, HIV infected patient might benefit from this research in around 5 years.

About the CIF mission statement

CIF aims to raise funds for research and education that will rapidly translate the hard earned abzyme and covalent vaccination discoveries into medical benefits. CIF will provide funds for timely completion of expensive drug effectiveness and safety studies required by the Food and Drug Administration. It is estimated that drug development costs can be up to 1 billion dollars. For instance, preventative HIV vaccination trials will require a large investment, as a large number of humans must be tested, and their infection status must be monitored for years. CIF’s mission is to enable this process with support from a broad cross-section of the public. In addition, CIF will support Dr. Paul’s efforts to raise additional governmental funds for the research and development.

If you believe in this research, please support it by any means: of course, it could be by donating something, but also by informing others people about the on-going effort to raise additional funds for this research to become hopefully a reality. If I may add (sorry if it's not very nice), know that expecting the others to do something will not be very helpful. If you need to, think about what you can possibly do, and if you feel so, do something that you can do.

I can't understand why The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation don't help in the funding process. There are also many other philantropic foundations which could assist.

I think the whole grassroots campaign asking people for $5. is more of a publicity strategy. If they are able to garner enough publicity and attention then they might get some funding from the bigger donors, if not the usual organizations such as Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Elton John Foundation, AMFAR, then maybe one or two private (rich) individual donors.

I think people should still give money, though, to show there is real support for unconventional research. Plus, they just might be able to reach the amount they need with small donations in order to fund an initial trial, the Obama campaign proved that a lot could be raised with small donations online.

Our goal is to conduct a FDA Phase I trial for this promising HIV Vaccine. This Phase I trial will cost approximately $2.5 million and likely involve 20 HIV+ people. We expect that this Phase I trial will demonstrate the safety and potential that abzymes hold for eradicating HIV.

In 2 months, Covalent Immunology Foundation has raised over $50,000, or about 2% of the total cost of the trial. We are excited by this amazing start and we believe that this Newsweek article will help publicize CIF's fundraising approach as well as illustrate the groundbreaking potential of abzyme technology.

CIF is also in the process of forming an important partnership with a clinical research organization (CRO) to conduct the Phase I clinical trial at a sharply reduced rate.

Please continue to support us by sending this article to your friends today for World AIDS Day, and spread the word about the only HIV Vaccine candidate with the potential to protect against every known genetic variation of HIV.

But what really got my attention was the cost. $2.5 million dollars for a Phase1 clinical trial for only 20 people. That's $125,000 per person for a Phase 1 trial which is usually of very short duration (weeks/months).

While there certainly is a need for more funding, maybe an equally important issue is using the funds more efficiently. I wish I could offer a brilliant solution, but I can't, but I find the numbers kinda shocking.

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"The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt."

I donated $15 today too. I'll try to make recurring donations. We all just need to email about 10 friends each and ask them to do the same. There is a youtube video with Lady Bunny, Justin Bond and other gay performers that promotes this fundraising effort. Let's make it, um, viral.

Scientists at University of Texas Houston Medical School Identify Key Defect in Immune Response to HIV

VIENNA and NEW YORK, July 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The Abzyme Research Foundation announces today that Dr. Sudhir Paul, a scientist at University of Texas Houston Medical School, has identified an important immunological deficiency in HIV-infected patients and has created a promising HIV vaccine candidate that rectifies the deficiency. The discoveries were presented on July 19th and 20th, 2010 at the XVII International AIDS Society Conference in Vienna, Austria.

The HIV vaccine candidate has been tested in mice and rabbits. It was effective in inducing the production of protective antibodies that stopped the HIV from infecting human blood cells in laboratory tests.

Dr. Paul and his colleagues discovered that HIV patients do not produce sufficient protective antibodies of a type called IgG that are capable of attacking the vulnerable CD4 binding site on the HIV. The virus binds to human host cells through this site to cause infection. The CD4 binding site is a small part of gp120, a protein found on the surface of HIV. Studies of mice injected with gp120 confirmed an insufficient IgG response to the CD4 binding site. Previous vaccine tests by other researchers used the gp120 protein itself without success in protecting against infection.

The following study from pubmed shows that there is a good possibility that long term survivors can still generate the necessary antibodies to neutralize hiv by using among other things a "mutation procedure". This stuff looks hopeful. I also like the way Dr.P's work is reported. See this:

"CONCLUSION: These observations identify the 421-433 peptide region as a vulnerable HIV site to which survivors of infection can produce powerful neutralizing antibodies. This indicates that the human immune system can bypass restrictions on the adaptive B cell response to the CD4BS, opening the route to targeting the 421-433 region for attaining control of HIV infection"

Scientists at University of Texas Houston Medical School Identify Key Defect in Immune Response to HIV

VIENNA and NEW YORK, July 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The Abzyme Research Foundation announces today that Dr. Sudhir Paul, a scientist at University of Texas Houston Medical School, has identified an important immunological deficiency in HIV-infected patients and has created a promising HIV vaccine candidate that rectifies the deficiency. The discoveries were presented on July 19th and 20th, 2010 at the XVII International AIDS Society Conference in Vienna, Austria.

The HIV vaccine candidate has been tested in mice and rabbits. It was effective in inducing the production of protective antibodies that stopped the HIV from infecting human blood cells in laboratory tests.

Dr. Paul and his colleagues discovered that HIV patients do not produce sufficient protective antibodies of a type called IgG that are capable of attacking the vulnerable CD4 binding site on the HIV. The virus binds to human host cells through this site to cause infection. The CD4 binding site is a small part of gp120, a protein found on the surface of HIV. Studies of mice injected with gp120 confirmed an insufficient IgG response to the CD4 binding site. Previous vaccine tests by other researchers used the gp120 protein itself without success in protecting against infection.

Being HIV positive does not give one license to resent those breakthroughs without looking like a tool.

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"Many people, especially in the gay community, turn to oral sex as a safer alternative in the age of AIDS. And with HIV rates rising, people need to remember that oral sex is safer sex. It's a reasonable alternative."

Being HIV positive does not give one license to resent those breakthroughs without looking like a tool.

And fear of looking like a "tool" shouldn't prevent me from voicing my concerns. I'm not begrudging the 99.5% of society that doesn't have the disease anything but it'd be nice if advances in treatment for the rest ofus consisted of more than refinements on existing treatments. I'm aware that he's mentioned therapeutic practices in the vaccine in the past but saw no mention of it in the most recent link. Inching are you quoting recent things he's said or is that your speculation because I've honestly seen nothing of him discussing therapeutic applications in the link I saw. The rest of you who are do fucking excited that the whole world is barrelling towards a cure that will exclude you, don't mistake your fears of bring labeled "tools" as an obligation to celebrate your own neglect.

I know what you mean, they didn't exactly talk too much (or at all) about therapeutics this time around.

It's all still too early to call.

The recent report on the state of HIV cure research coming out of the pre-Vienna meeting will hopefully help remove the stigma surrounding scientists working on a cure. So much more is being spent on a preventive vaccine (with no stigma attached to that) but the irony is that as far as the science goes, and despite past setbacks, it may be a simpler matter to cure than to prevent.

I've donated to the newly founded foundation in the past and just received this update on their progress:

Introducing the Abzyme Research Foundation

Advancing research of abzyme technology in the hope of creating the world’s first effective HIV vaccine

Dear Supporter,

I am very pleased to announce the launch of the Abzyme Research Foundation! Thanks to your generous support (either at one of our events or through our website, endhiv.com), we are making real progress supporting the search for an effective HIV vaccine.

Promising abzyme technology has brought us closer than we’ve ever been to a real candidate for an HIV vaccine. It is now time to put this concept to work. Obviously, numerous political and social obstacles continue to make the ongoing global battle against HIV an arduous one. Advancing practical scientific HIV research will require the attention and cooperation of government, corporations and large non-profit organizations.

At ARF, we believe that individual public donations for scientific research will make a statement to these groups that the public demands development in new stages in HIV treatment. If you’re tired of waiting for real progress in the fight against this global pandemic, we hope you’ll take part in our $150,000 challenge that will kick off later this summer.

The $150,000 ARF will raise with this challenge will fund a new pre-clinical trial, requested by the National Institute of Health, of Dr. Sudhir Paul’s abzyme-based vaccine for HIV. The results from this trial will be published within 3-6 months of completion. By supporting ARF and Dr. Paul’s research, you will be personally playing a role in the vital research we need stop the spread of HIV.

You’re invited to check out the re-vamped endhiv.com to learn about the science behind abzyme technology, find out about the new members of our organization and see photos from our most recent event, held on June 8, 2010.

Stay tuned for more information about ARF’s upcoming initiatives. We hope you’ll join us in the fight to find an HIV vaccine in our lifetime.

More information from the foundation relative to Dr Paul. I really hope folks who are able will consider donating to his research.

Dear ARF supporter,

I am thrilled to share some incredible news with you. This is big.On July 19, Dr. Sudhir Paul presented the results from his recent study on the effects of abzymes on the HIV virus to the XVII International AIDS Society Conference in Vienna. His team has developed a “synthetic electrophilic vaccine candidate”, or E-VAC, which works by focusing the antibody response at the CD4 binding site on the HIV virus. Since the structure of the CD4 binding site is very similar in all HIV strains throughout the world, a globally effective HIV vaccine may be possible.

On the heels of his presentation, over 160 news outlets from around the world picked up the news of Dr. Paul’s incredible findings, exposing to the work of Dr. Paul and ARF to millions of people who, like you, are frustrated with the lack of an effective vaccine or treatment for HIV.

Alan Kleiman, ARF’s Chairman of the Board, commented “We are backing the research of Dr. Paul’s team because his approach using abzymes shows enormous progress in creating an HIV vaccine. Our foundation aims to drive discovery and innovation in the field of HIV research in hopes of one day eliminating the HIV/AIDS pandemic.”

Dear Forum:For the past 2 years I have been volunteering to raise money and funds for Dr. Paul's research, and we are coming close to a real breakthrough. The NIH has funded primate studies for his vaccine candidate, and upon their release the non-profit I have founded ARF will launch a one million dollar fundraising campaign to get this candidate into human trials. We are aiming to enroll HIV+ and HIV- subjects in the trial to show safety and hopefully signs of the diverse benefits of abzymes.Please feel free to email me directly with questions or commentsZachary@abzymeresearchfoundation.orgBest,Zachary

Dear Forum:For the past 2 years I have been volunteering to raise money and funds for Dr. Paul's research, and we are coming close to a real breakthrough. The NIH has funded primate studies for his vaccine candidate, and upon their release the non-profit I have founded ARF will launch a one million dollar fundraising campaign to get this candidate into human trials. We are aiming to enroll HIV+ and HIV- subjects in the trial to show safety and hopefully signs of the diverse benefits of abzymes.Please feel free to email me directly with questions or commentsZachary@abzymeresearchfoundation.orgBest,Zachary

I wonder if there are any talented Marketing and Web designers out there that could (donate their expertise) help the good doct and University raise awareness and money.... That way we the doctor coan concentrate more on his research and less on the economics? I am just putting it out there

I wonder if there are any talented Marketing and Web designers out there that could (donate their expertise) help the good doct and University raise awareness and money.... That way we the doctor coan concentrate more on his research and less on the economics? I am just putting it out there

The doctor already has a team of professionals, with PR led by Zachary Barnett, who posted above. This is their website:

Hiit is been almos two years and nothing hapen.... are we going to wait ? What can be done?I am just recently diagonosted and i am about to start theraphy and fiends only tell methat i do not have to worry i have my meds for sure...but what about the rest of the worldpls it is sad that we have lost the hopethe are two researcher who have the best results...Dr. Sudhir and Dr. Loyter..we have to do something in order that that research move faster10 year ago many people will laught about talking the posibility of a cure...but no all of them waht i menateven when people do not belive (10 year ago) trher were researche who still thok the cure is possibleThose profesorr have the results of the work of many years and we have to do somtehing .Thera many works wry well aproved by FDA and are in clinical trials but serusly ther do not have the best results, they were not planed to resolve the problem so why to sped time and mony with poor results...please I hope we can gather together and make history like social network have acomplished in other part of the world... we can do itthose results need to beThe benefits we have in our life today with ARV are because people took risks

We need to move cure-related research forward as quickly as possible!!!

Did you know that Abzyme Research Foundation is raising money for taking this technology into human trials?

I'll leave the link for anyone who wants to learn more or donate. I helped with 30 bucks. It's not much but still it's a step closer. Every little bit helps. See what you can do. I think this one is a good one.